Art for Sale Page 2

February 13, 2026
by Lori Lakin Hutcherson, GBN Editor-in-Chief
On March 6, 1857, United States Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney oversaw a 7-2 vote against enslaved spouses Dred Scott and Harriet Scott, who had bravely and rightfully petitioned the Court for their freedom.
As agreed to in the Missouri Compromise, if enslaved people worked and lived in free states with or for their owners, this gave the enslaved persons the right to be free.
However, in the majority opinion, Chief Justice Taney stated all people of African descent, free or enslaved, weren’t U.S. citizens and therefore did not have the right to sue in federal court, on top of having the gall to argue that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional, as well as the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
This U.S. Supreme Court decision outraged Northern politicians and abolitionists while bolstering Southern politicians and pro-slavery adherents. The debate raged so deeply that it stoked both sides to believe that only war or succession would “solve” the nation’s slavery dilemma.
Though they didn’t obtain their freedom through the justice system, the Scotts were purchased by people who freed them in May of 1857. Dred found work as a porter in a St. Louis hotel until he contracted tuberculosis and died in September 1858.
Harriet continued living in St. Louis, working as a washerwoman to support herself and her daughters. She lived through the Civil War, witnessing the final abolition of slavery, and passed away on June 20, 1876.
In 1997, Dred Scott and Harriet Robinson Scott were posthumously inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
On March 6, 2017, 160 years to the day after that horrible Supreme Court decision, Charlie Taney, the great great grand nephew of Justice Taney, apologized on behalf of his family to Lynne M. Jackson, the great great granddaughter of the Scotts, outside the Maryland State House in front of Roger Taney’s statue.
In August 2017, that same statue of Taney was removed from the entrance of Maryland’s State House. In 2023, a new, nine-foot-tall granite memorial monument for Dred Scott was dedicated at Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, MO.
To learn more about Dred Scott, Harriet Robinson Scott and the Dred Scott Decision, check out the PBS video What Was the Dred Scott Decision?, the 2019 book Dred Scott: The Inside Story by David Hardy, 2008’s Dred Scott and the Problem of Constitutional Evil by Mark A. Graber, and the 2009 book on Harriet Scott called Mrs. Dred Scott: A Life on Slavery’s Frontier by Lea Vandervelde.
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Published in History, Politics and U.S.

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Galentine’s Day, the annual tradition of celebrating your friends, is right around the corner, and it’s not just for singles.
Saturday might be for the lovers. But Sunday, Feb. 15? That’s for the love that doesn’t come with a romantic partner.
Galentine’s Day, originally coined in 2010 by Amy Poehler on “Parks and Recreation,” started as a punchline. A silly sitcom bit about kicking it “lady style” and women celebrating women. But it took off because it named something many of us were already craving: an excuse to celebrate the friendships that hold us together.
And it’s not just for single women.
A friend recently texted to see if I had time to get together soon, adding that she assumed Valentine’s Day, despite arriving on Saturday this year, was probably booked since I’m married. While I do have dinner plans that evening with my sweetheart, I was fully available during the day and told her so immediately. Still, her comment lingered. When we’re partnered, it’s easy for February 14 to become sealed off, reserved for one kind of love. But why should it be? Why can’t those of us in relationships still show up intentionally for the people who loved us before, during, and hopefully long after any romance?
Part of why Galentine’s has endured is because it’s become more than a meme in the group chat. It’s also no surprise that with its opportunity for decadence and regalia, it has taken off among Black women specifically. Scroll TikTok or Instagram, and you’ll find thousands of posts of Black women in coordinated red and pink looks heading to brunch, wearing matching satin heart pajamas while dancing at sleepovers, decor featuring massive red heart-shaped balloons, themed tablescapes covered with roses, and custom cocktails and cakes. There are games. Dance-offs. Gift exchanges that rival bridesmaids’ bags. These gatherings happen everywhere, in homes, at restaurants, in parks, and they are styled down to the napkins.
Yes, of course, the aesthetics matter. We love a theme. When I ordered a dupe version of Rihanna’s infamous oversized red heart coat for a Galentine’s brunch one year — I have a heart condition and have always found heart-shaped things adorable, let me live — my friends’ eyes lit up when I walked in and their phone cameras came out. It also eventually made its rounds, so each gal could have her turn wearing my heart. Later, when we met up with some of our respective partners, they laughed and said, “Women love themes.” We do. And we love being fully seen in them by people who get it.
That’s part of the magic. In spaces with our friends, especially as women, we often get to lean into parts of ourselves that aren’t always mirrored back in romantic relationships. The softness. The dramatics. The joy in tiny, fashionable details. The performance of it all.
Galentine’s also widens the scope of the holiday. For decades, February has carried this quiet dread for anyone single, as if the first half of the month is a referendum on your desirability. Sitcoms have built entire plotlines around it for years. But Galentine’s offers a slight reframe. Love isn’t scarce. It isn’t limited to couples. It’s abundant, and it exists in friend groups, in brunch reservations, in late-night sleepovers, in the way someone hypes your coat before you sit down.
And maybe the coolest part is this: we often show up for our friends the way we should for ourselves. We plan the brunch. We buy the cards. We set the table. We hype the outfit. All of those rituals, at their core, are meant to make someone feel valued.
Sometimes we can skip the romantic drama and go straight to what really counts: the reminder that we are already loved, already worthy, already held. Whether it’s a hot date or a cute brunch club, what we’re really chasing at the end of the day is that feeling. And there’s more than one way to get it.
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The D-O-Double-G was tapped as an official honorary coach by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and served as a special correspondent for NBC.
Snoop Dogg’s time as an Olympic ambassador has gone smoothly over the last few years. Whether it be commentating with Kevin Hart in 2021 or being fully engaged in Paris in 2024, the D-O-Double-G has fallen headfirst as one of the more memorable parts of the Games. However, it wasn’t all fun and games in Italy earlier this week.
On Wednesday (Feb. 11), the rapper and multi-hyphenate’s security detail allegedly got into it with Dutch speedskater Marianne Timmer, leading to Snoop being escorted out of the Milano Speed Skating Stadium after his security allegedly shoved Timmer while she waited to interview other athletes at the Games.
In a conversation with Dutch outlet Sportnieuws, Timmer recalled the incident as something out of the ordinary.
“I was standing against a wall, and one of the security guards pushed me even closer. I said, ‘Just act normal.’ It’s a really wide hall, about four metres. But then the guy came back, and I said, ‘What? Do I have to go through that wall or something?’” Timmer, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, said.
“He came back and started acting all up against me. Then I said something mean back: ‘I’m not here waiting for Snoop Dogg, I’m waiting for Jennings de Boo. We want to see Joep (Wennermars), we want to talk to Kjeld (Nuis) for a moment.’”
In December, Team USA selected Snoop as an honorary coach. According to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), Snoop’s role is as a volunteer tasked with “celebrating and supporting American athletes” off the competition stage.
“Team USA athletes are the real stars—I’m just here to cheer, uplift and maybe drop a little wisdom from the sidelines,” said Coach Snoop. “This team represents the best of what sport can be: talent, heart and hustle. If I can bring a little more love and motivation to that, that’s a win for me.” 
Snoop’s role won’t stop with the Winter Olympics in Italy. He’ll also reprise his role for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

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The move comes as the university consolidates several identity-based academic programs into a new department, raising concerns among faculty about political pressure and academic freedom.

The University of Texas at Austin will fold its African and African Diaspora Studies department into a newly created academic unit this fall, part of a broader consolidation that faculty say follows increasing political scrutiny of programs focused on race and identity.
Beginning in September, the College of Liberal Arts plans to launch a Department for Social and Cultural Analysis Studies, combining African and African Diaspora Studies with Mexican American and Latino Studies, Women and Gender Studies, and American Studies.
Interim Dean David Sosa shared the update with department leaders on Thursday, noting that curriculum and degree programs are now under review. While no immediate layoffs were announced, faculty say the long-term impact—including funding, faculty governance, and institutional support—remains uncertain.
Having departmental status carries weight at major universities, often shaping budget access, hiring decisions, and tenure influence. Professors worry the restructuring could ultimately weaken programs that have helped broaden scholarship and reflect the experiences of historically underrepresented communities.
“There can be no reason for this decision other than an authoritarian takeover of Texas’ flagship university,” associate professor Lauren Gutterman said, questioning why other smaller humanities departments were not included if fragmentation were the primary concern.
The move arrives as public universities across Texas face mounting pressure from conservative lawmakers to scale back coursework tied to race and gender. Earlier this year, Texas A&M University closed its Women and Gender Studies department, while other university systems have adopted policies limiting courses seen as promoting “race or gender ideology.”
At UT, ethnic and gender studies programs trace their roots to student activism in the 1970s and 1980s and have since grown into interdisciplinary fields attracting students across majors. Faculty argue the programs remain academically strong, pointing to national rankings that have recognized UT’s leadership in areas such as Latin American history and undergraduate ethnic studies.
Still, some university leaders have called for greater “balance” in the curriculum, describing certain fields as overly fractured or politically charged.
For professors like Women and Gender Studies chair Lisa Moore, the stakes extend beyond departmental structure.
“The changes that are happening are going to, and already have created damage that will last for decades,” Moore said in an interview before the consolidation announcement.
As the university prepares for the transition, faculty and students are watching closely, not just to see how the consolidation unfolds, but for what it signals about the future of academic freedom and whose histories remain central in higher education.

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Amazon Prime’s hit crime thriller starring Aldis Hodge, “Cross,” has returned for a second season with an urgent theme at its center.
Prime Video’s “Cross” has returned for a second season and, despite being filmed back-to-back with the first installment, its central story feels as timely as ever.
The Amazon Studios thriller once again follows Alex Cross, the Washington, D.C.-based homicide detective and forensic psychologist created by James Patterson, as he takes on another chilling case while navigating life as a widowed father.
This time, the stakes feel especially charged. The second season centers on a calculating vigilante killer targeting members of the wealthy elite, forcing both Cross and viewers to grapple with a complicated question: How far is too far when the cause feels justified?
The updated storyline arrives at a moment when anxieties around the power and influence of the ultra-wealthy feel heightened, making the show’s exploration of justice and accountability all the more resonant.
“It’s almost as if we predicted the future,” series showrunner Ben Watkins told theGrio exclusively ahead of the debut. “The themes that we’re talking about — vigilantism, oversized influence by billionaires and institutions, both government and corporate, that seem to treat the population like we’re disposable — those are all themes in our show that are more timely now than ever.”
He added, “You will have to ask that question, how far is too far, and I think that answer is going to be different for everyone.”
Aldis Hodge, who stars as the titular detective, said the relevance and the conversations it may spark are “exciting.” This season, he said, will leave viewers grappling with whether they feel comfortable supporting people doing seemingly good things in the wrong ways.
“How do you feel about that? Because that’s a real conversation, particularly that’s been going on for a minute, but really right now,” he said. 
The series’s first season introduced audiences to Cross as a brilliant investigator still reeling from the murder of his wife, Maria, while raising his two children with the help of his beloved Nana Mama (Juanita Jennings). Alongside his longtime friend and partner, Detective John Sampson (Isaiah Mustafa), Cross hunted a sadistic serial killer in a case that tested him professionally and emotionally.
Season two picks up in the aftermath, with Cross attempting to steady his personal life even as a new threat emerges. The vigilante at the center of the mystery, Luz, played by Jeanine Mason, is cunning and driven by a sense of righteousness, targeting powerful billionaires and corporate figures. As the investigation unfolds, Cross is forced deeper into questions about justice, corruption, and accountability.
Returning cast members include Samantha Walkes as Elle Monteiro and Alona Tal as FBI agent Kayla Craig, whose professional ties to Cross deepen this season. Caleb Elijah and Melody Hurd reprise their roles as Cross’s children, while Matthew Lillard joins the cast in a pivotal role tied to the elite circle under threat.
The season’s return is also notable because it was filmed alongside season one, which debuted in November 2024 to strong viewership and critical buzz long before its reception was clear. The cast and creative team committed to telling a sweeping story without knowing how audiences would respond.
“Going into it, it felt weighted,” Walkes said. “We were like, ‘Wait, we’re going back for a second season, and the world hasn’t seen one.’”
She added that the early renewal felt rare in today’s climate and reinforced the cast’s belief in the work.
Lillard echoed that enthusiasm. “Jumping onto a show that has a chance to be an international smash, it’s always fun,” he said. “Our lives change when you’re associated with such great work.”
While season one focused heavily on Cross’s grief, the second allows more space for the relationships around him to evolve. His bond with Sampson is tested, his connection with Elle grows more complicated as danger inches closer to home, and his dynamic with Kayla continues to shift.
“I’m excited for people to see the new tone of this thriller,” Tal said, noting that viewers will see deeper layers of her character.
As the body count rises and the vigilante’s motivations sharpen, season two pushes Cross to not only question the law, but his own beliefs.
“His evolution this season is one of challenging his resilience,” Hodge said. “He starts off in a pretty positive place. And then it all gets upended. Where we find him later is asking himself if he can actually enact his idea of justice from where he sits.”
The first three episodes of “Cross” are available now on Prime Video, with new episodes dropping on Wednesdays.

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February 12, 2026
Black farmers at Freedom Acres Ranch in Yoder, Colorado are pushing for new anti-discrimination laws to combat ongoing local racism.
The Black farmers at Freedom Acres Ranch say ongoing racism in Yoder, Colorado, is pushing them toward a political run.
In the five years since Courtney “CW” Mallory and Nicole Mallery moved from Texas to Yoder to purchase a 1,000-acre ranch and fight food insecurity, the couple says they have faced relentless harassment from their white neighbors, including doxxing, surveillance, property vandalism, and finding animals dead on their land.
Some of the alleged racism was captured in Jordan Peele’s 2025 documentary High Horse: The Black Cowboy.
But with claims that deputies with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office have been complicit, the Mallerys say the ongoing discrimination has pushed them to work with lawmakers, or potentially run for office themselves, to challenge racial injustice, Capital B News reported.
“There are so many other Black people who are dealing with this that don’t know what to do. I hope that maybe following our journey gives them some hope, and maybe some kind of outline as to how they can overcome it,” Nicole said. “Go down to the legislature and get some laws passed so they know they can’t stop you.”
After enduring vandalism, the loss of livestock and ranch hands, guns allegedly pointed in their direction, and felony stalking, petty theft, and meter-tampering charges that were later dismissed, the Mallerys said their ordeal reflects the long-standing pressures Black farmers face in an industry where their numbers are already shrinking.
“We came here to be safe from being flooded out, but to then try to flood us out through hate, it just makes me really frustrated and upset,” Nicole said, referencing their move from Texas after their traumatic survival story from Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
Instead of being silenced as they believed their neighbors wanted, the ranchers gained national attention, from packed rallies at the state Capitol to their feature in Peele’s documentary, now streaming on Peacock.
As they continue their fight with no plans to leave, the Mallerys said they’re grateful for the public’s growing support and asked for donations to their GoFundMe to maintain their presence in Yoder.
”I mean this from the bottom of my heart, without this online community, it’s because of y’all that Freedom Acres Ranch is still here, that we are still alive,” CW said in a heartfelt video message, where he also called out the local “corruption” in Yoder.
A post shared by Black Farmland Owners Matters (@blackfarmlandownersmatter)
Over five years, the ranchers said they’ve welcomed more than 12,000 visitors for tours and demonstrations, connected with over 2,500 youth through their Concrete to the Countryside agriculture program, and donated fresh food to local pantries, all while promoting land stewardship, healthy eating, and hands-on ranch experiences.
Looking ahead, the Black ranchers are planning upcoming events, including Bayou at the Barn, to bring even more people to their land. Despite ongoing challenges, the Mallerys remain committed to sharing their passion for farming, believing that growing food strengthens communities and introducing young people to agriculture helps expand the next generation of Black farmers.
“We got the future [generation] behind us, looking at us, so packing up and running is not an option,” CW said. “We ain’t doing nothing illegal here. We’re trying to feed America. It’s my mission to get fresh food into the Black communities.”  
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Fresh off leading the Seattle Seahawks to a historic Super Bowl LX victory, veteran quarterback Sam Darnold found a way to celebrate his first championship win with fans: by clocking in for a shift at Raising Cane’s.
Just days after leading the Seahawks to victory in the Super Bowl, Darnold surprised fans by stepping behind the counter at the brand’s first-ever Seattle location. While the restaurant isn’t scheduled to open until next week, Raising Cane’s owner and founder Todd Graves opened the doors early to host the Super Bowl champion and give the city a sneak peek at what’s to come.
Shortly after securing a win “for the ages,” Darnold returned home to the Emerald City and became the first celebrity to work a shift at the new restaurant. During the event, he spoke with media, captured content for the brand, and trained side by side with Graves to learn the ins and outs of being part of the Cane’s Crew–all as more than a thousand fans packed the streets to catch a glimpse at the man affectionately known by fans as GEQBUS (God Emperor Quarterback of the United States).
“Seattle is a community of hard workers and that’s what I come from – my mom was a teacher and my dad was a plumber,” Darnold told media during his visit. “The community cares so much for this team and we always try to do our best and put our best foot forward for the city and these fans. I’m so happy to have this win for them.”
While talking about his love for the fans, BOSSIP asked the QB about his relationship with some of football’s most dedicated fans. His success in the game has been anything but linear, but through it all, Darnold’s fanbase believed–which, in turn, helped the NFL star believe in himself.
“The fans are the reason why a lot of us play this game…The fans, and all the crazy nicknames that they give me and the love that they share,” Darnold told BOSSIP’s Rebecah Jacobs. “Even the amount of noise, the amount of people that are here today just shows you just how much this game can bring people together. That’s why I love interacting with all of the fans and that’s why it’s so important to me.”
More than 1,000 fans gathered outside the restaurant to cheer on their QB and celebrate the Seahawks’ championship. Several standout University of Washington football players—including Rahim Wright III, Rahshawn Clark, Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, CJ Christian, D’Aryhian Clemons and Parker Cross—were also in attendance to show their support and chomp on some chicken fingers.
During his shift, Darnold fully embraced his role as an honorary Crewmember. The NFL star greeted customers, posed for selfies, signed autographs, and trained as both a Fry Cook and Cashier. The quarterback also bagged orders, filled drinks, and called out Box Combo orders as he and Graves worked side by side to serve eager fans their first taste of Cane’s signature meals.
“It was great having Sam here at our first Seattle Restaurant to celebrate the Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX win,” Graves said. “I can’t think of a better way to introduce Cane’s to Seattle and celebrate such a monumental moment for this city than with Sam and more than 1,000 cheering fans. The energy today has been electric.”
The celebration wrapped up with Darnold and Graves heading outside to thank the crowd, as fans chanted “SEA! HAWKS! SEA! HAWKS!” in unison. The moment blended football, fandom, and Cane’s signature community togetherness, turning a championship celebration into a fan-first preview of Seattle’s newest restaurant.
With his Super Bowl trophy in hand and an apron around his waist, Darnold’s Raising Cane’s shift served as a heartfelt thank-you to the city that supported him all season—and a memorable way to kick off both a championship era and a new chapter for Seattle’s dining scene.
The post Man Of The People: Winning Super Bowl QB Sam Darnold Praises Seattle Seahawks Fans While Giving Them A Sneak Peek At The City’s First Raising Cane’s [Exclusive] appeared first on Bossip.
Man Of The People: Winning Super Bowl QB Sam Darnold Praises Seattle Seahawks Fans While Giving Them A Sneak Peek At The City’s First Raising Cane’s [Exclusive] was originally published on bossip.com

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Artemisia Gentileschi’s Self-Portrait Courtesy Christie’s
The Old Masters auctions in New York saw notable results this week, with new records set for artists including Artemisia Gentileschi, Michelangelo and Rembrandt, while also bringing historically significant works—some fresh to market or newly restituted—into public view.
Christie’s Old Masters auction on Wednesday fetched a $54.3m with fees, the highest total for a New York sale in the category in more than a decade. One of Artemisia Gentileschi’s earliest self-portraits sold for a record $5.7m during its auction debut. Depicted as Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Gentileschi painted herself holding a martyr’s palm leaf and wearing a crown and royal robes with a peek of a spiked wheel behind her. The winning bid far exceeded the painting’s $2.5m to $3.5m estimate, and also surpassed the previous record for a Gentileschi work at auction, €4.8m at an Artcurial Paris sale in 2019.
Also during Wednesday’s sale at Christie’s, Canaletto’s Venice, the Bucintoro at the Molo on Ascension Day (around 1754) sold for $30.5m with fees. A different painting of the same view of the Venetian Lagoon broke the artist’s record at auction in July when it sold for £31.9m at Christie’s London.
During Christie’s Old Master and British Drawings sale on Thursday, a miniature drawing of a foot recently attributed to Michaelangelo sold for a record-breaking $27.2m with fees. The five-inch red chalk drawing is believed to be a study for the Sistine Chapel and is fresh to market, which likely helped it hop well above its $2m high estimate. The consignor is located in Northern California, and the drawing has been in his family since the late 18th century. The previous record for a drawing by Michelangelo was €23.2m with fees, set at Christie’s Paris in 2022.
Rembrandt, Young Lion Resting Courtesy Sotheby’s
One of the buzziest lots of the week was Rembrandt’s Young Lion Resting, a small chalk drawing that sold at Sotheby’s New York on Wednesday for $17.8m will fees. The drawing hammered at $15m—on the low end of its estimate range—but is still the highest price ever fetched for a Rembrandt drawing at auction. The work was consigned by Thomas S. Kaplan and Daphne Recanati Kaplan. The billionaire and his wife have built the largest privately-owned collection of Rembrandts in the world, and Young Lion Resting was the first work by the artist the couple acquired. All proceeds from the sale will go toward Panthera, the Kaplans’ charity for wild cats. The work is the last of six known drawings of lions by Rembrandt in private hands. Others are in the Musée du Louvre in Paris, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, and two in the British Museum. In his newsletter The Gray Market, Tim Schneider reported the drawing was purchased by Dutch dealer Salomon Lilian “on behalf of a big collector”.
A rare Hebrew illuminated manuscript, dating back to 15th-century Vienna, sold for $6.4m at Sotheby’s on Thursday. Called the Rothschild Vienna Mahzor, the book of High Holiday prayers was acquired by the famed banking family it was named for in 1812 in Nuremberg and was passed down through generations of the family. However, the manuscript was seized during the Holocaust and sent to the Austrian National Library where, according to Sotheby’s, it was unrecognised as Nazi loot. The mahzor only resurfaced publicly in 2021 when it was loaned for an exhibition dedicated to the Viennese branch of the Rothschilds—the family hadn’t even known the manuscript was in the library. The Austrian government voluntarily restituted the mahzor last year after researching its provenance, setting the stage for its appearance at auction.
Plus, Gerard Byrne on his work inspired by a Swedish diorama
Tacca’s Hercules is star of the bronzes, while Carracci’s military portrait and Rembrandt’s print find favour where Rubens’s daughter flounders in £31.1m sale
Rembrandt, Domenichino, Raphael and Van Dyck all on offer, but how many will remain in the UK?

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Shedly Apollon was headed to a prenatal massage on her birthday on Feb. 6 when she plunged her car into a pond in Stuart, Florida.
A new mom in Florida is speaking out after she survived a “harrowing” car crash into a body of water and gave birth just hours later.
On Friday, Feb. 6, 29-year-old Shedly Apollon was headed to a prenatal massage appointment in Stuart, Fla., when, after beginning to feel faint, she veered off the road and plunged into a pond, CBS 12 reported.
“Immediately, I tried to open my driver-side door and the passenger door, but they were both submerged,” Apollon told the outlet as she recovered at HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce.
The expectant mom was rescued by a good Samaritan, later identified as Logan Hayes, and rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed an emergency C-section. Her daughter, Ivory Sully, was born at 33 weeks and admitted to the NICU.
“I was upset about the car taking a swim,” Apollon said with a laugh. “But now they can have it. I have my baby girl.”
Around 8 a.m. local time on Friday, Martin County Fire & Rescue “responded to a harrowing scene near the 112-mile marker on I-95 after a vehicle left the roadway and became fully submerged in a pond near the weigh station,” according to an MCFR statement.
Apollon told CBS 12 she was banging on the window and yelling, “Someone save me,” when Hayes, who was on his way to work and happened to pass the terrifying scene, pulled over without hesitation. He jumped out of his vehicle and headed into the water, ripping open one of the doors as it began to pool around her feet. He pulled her out and managed to swim them both to safety.
“Reports from the scene indicate that as the car began to sink, a Good Samaritan who witnessed the crash immediately jumped into action,” the MCFR statement continued. “We were told the witness swam roughly 30 feet from the shore to reach the vehicle. He was able to reach the driver, whom he recognized was pregnant, and open the door.”
“When he swung that door open, I was just like, ‘Okay, you are an angel. You came out of nowhere,’” she recalled.
Apollon confirmed that she and Hayes have since reconnected via FaceTime, People magazine reported. On Monday, Feb. 10, she also finally got to connect with her daughter and share skin-to-skin contact with her newborn for the first time.
“Having her hands touch me and feeling her heartbeat, it was surreal,” she said.
Her fiancé, Woodly Sully, also expressed his relief that the situation turned out the way it did.
“I got to see both of my girls,” he told the outlet. “She came out with no scratches, and the only way I can explain this is that’s God.”
Since the ordeal happened on Apollon’s birthday, she and her baby girl now share the same special day.
“We can share this with her one day,” she said. “I can laugh with her. Now that we share a birthday, our bond is tighter than ever.”

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From celebrity meltdowns to shocking revelations, Tasha K unpacks the juiciest headlines shaking up Hollywood.
If you thought the news cycle was calming down, think again. In a recent exclusive on Posted on the Corner, the queen of unfiltered commentary, Tasha K, sat down to unpack the wildest headlines currently shaking up the culture. From boxing legends to political figures, nobody was safe from the deep dive.

Floyd Mayweather, who is reportedly throwing heavy legal punches at Showtime. The undefeated champ is suing the network, alleging they misappropriated a staggering $350 million and funneled it to his manager, Al Haymon. While Mayweather has always flaunted his “Money” moniker, Tasha K hinted that his pockets might not be as deep as his Instagram suggests, even claiming he’s been handing out fake Birkin bags to the ladies. 50 Cent’s old advice to Floyd about actually reading his contracts seems louder than ever right now.
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Gervonta “Tank” Davis is apparently facing his own battles outside the ring. Sharing the same manager as Mayweather, Davis has also been hunting down Al Haymon regarding owed money. To make matters worse, a warrant was issued for Davis after he reportedly missed a court date or violated probation. It’s a messy situation that could derail one of the most promising careers in the sport if he doesn’t get his business in order.
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On the comedy front, things took a dark turn with Corey Holcomb. A disturbing video surfaced allegedly showing Holcomb punching Christina Payne. The leak supposedly happened after Anton Daniels called Holcomb out, questioning his sexuality. It’s a chaotic sequence of events that has social media in a frenzy, questioning the character of everyone involved.
The industry reckoning continues with Aaron Hall, who is facing a serious lawsuit from Jane Does alleging he participated in heinous acts alongside Diddy. Tasha K referenced a resurfaced video from DJ Vlad’s channel where Hall named celebrities who allegedly watched him during intimate moments. Meanwhile, Diddy was reportedly served papers for the lawsuit while staying at an extended stay hotel in Alpharetta, Georgia, proving that legal troubles can find you anywhere.
The conversation shifted to hip-hop relationships, with Tasha dropping a bombshell about Remy Ma. According to Papoose, Remy allegedly had a “jail girlfriend” during her time away. It’s a surprising twist in one of hip-hop’s most beloved love stories. Speaking of love lost, Stevie J and Faith Evans are officially divorced. Tasha claimed to have footage from inside their home showing Stevie yelling at the legendary singer, painting a troubled picture of their union.
Senator Raphael Warnock called in to address a disrespectful tweet from Donald Trump featuring the Obamas. He also had words for Nicki Minaj, suggesting she is “selling her soul.” Between Glorilla’s sister dragging her on Facebook for forgetting the family and Gloss Up’s baby daddy drama, Posted on the Corner proved once again that the truth is often stranger—and messier—than fiction.
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Ai Weiwei at Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg, Austria, in 2024
Photo: APA-PictureDesk/Alamy Live News
The Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei says he faced a vote of no confidence by the Academicians at the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) in London after posting a controversial tweet about the war in Palestine.
In late 2023 Ai posted a tweet relating to the Israel-Hamas conflict which he later deleted. Lisson Gallery in London, which represents the artist, subsequently postponed a show of the artist’s works. The tweet began: “The sense of guilt around the persecution of the Jewish people has been, at times, transferred to offset the Arab world.”
In 2011 the RA made Ai an international Royal Academician (the artists and architects who are responsible for the overall direction and governance of the institution). The Guardian reports however that following the controversy over the tweet, a vote was held at the RA to determine whether his membership should be revoked because of accusations that the post was antisemitic. The RA subsequently voted to retain his membership. Ai also claims that an article he wrote for the RA Magazine was withdrawn.
A spokesperson for the Royal Academy says: “In 2023, [Ai] posted a message on social media—subsequently deleted—which caused offence. The Royal Academy’s Council and General Assembly, comprising all Academicians, discussed the matter and the General Assembly decided to take no further action. This decision was communicated to Ai at the time.”
The spokesperson adds: “Ai Weiwei was contacted via his publicist to write a piece for the spring 2026 issue of the RA Magazine about his current book. Shortly after the commission, before the piece was received, a decision was made, and communicated to Ai Weiwei’s publicist, to reduce the book review section in the magazine. Ai Weiwei’s publicist subsequently sent the piece to the RA, but, as previously advised, there was no space in the spring issue to include the piece.
“The Royal Academy supports freedom of expression, which is of fundamental importance to artists and the RA. Plurality of voices, tolerance and free thinking are at the core of what we stand for and seek to protect.”
Speaking to The Guardian about the tweet controversy, Ai said: “I don’t have the intention of an antisemite. My best friends, they’re all Jewish people… I tweeted millions of tweets on Twitter, but [how is it that] this tweet can cause such trouble?”
In an interview last year with The Art Newspaper, meanwhile, he said: “I did what I should. And that sacrifice is very little compared to all of the lives lost and compared to those children who cannot talk about the future. They don’t even exist. What I did is nothing. I feel I’m a little bit ahead of time. Everybody would say whatever I said was very conservative. It’s not controversial at all.”
Since Hamas’s attack on 7 October 2023, which killed more than 1,200 Israelis and in which more than 250 people were taken hostage, more than 72,000 Palestinians are estimated to have been killed in Gaza in total, many of the victims women and children, according to the local heath authority.
In his new publication, On Censorship (Thames & Hudson), Ai discusses issues around censorship, saying: “Every society—whether authoritarian or part of the so-called free West—employs different forms of indoctrination to guide behaviour, shaping people’s cognition, capacity for action and modes of thinking.”
Born in Beijing in 1957, Ai grew up in labour camps in northwest China after the exile of his father, the poet Ai Qing. Though a longtime communist, Ai Qing became a target first of the official Anti-Rightist Campaign, in 1957, and then of the Cultural Revolution. As a result of this, Ai has long been an outspoken critic of the Chinese authorities and an advocate for human rights.
In 2011, the artist was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport and detained for 81 days as part of the government’s crackdown on activists. In 2015 he left China and is now based in Lisbon, Portugal.
Ai also reveals that he visited China for the first time last year in over a decade, describing the experience as “a piece of jade broken that you can put back together because it matches very well. Everything’s so familiar: the light, the temperature, the people.”
A forthcoming exhibition at Aviva Studios in Manchester, UK, entitled Ai Weiwei: Button Up! (2 July-6 September) will include a new work by the artist made from 30 tonnes of buttons acquired in 2019 from a defunct factory in south London. According to The Times, the buttons will be sewn into “netting” to create eight flags
The dissident artist argues that restrictions manifest more subtly in Europe and the US
The works cannot be shown in China where the dissident artist says his identity has been erased
Activist launches Jeffrey Deitch’s new Hollywood gallery and will show works with talent agency UTA

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February 12, 2026
Patrick Xavier Clark, AKA DJ Pat is accused of killing Takeoff on Nov. 1, 2022
Patrick Xavier Clark, the man accused of killing Migos member Takeoff, has been given a trial date, according to the suspect’s attorney.
According to Click2Houston, the 36-year-old will stand trial for his alleged role in the killing of Takeoff, nee Kirsnick Khari Ball, in 2022. Clark’s attorney, Letitia Quinones-Hollins, confirmed the trial date is set for Nov. 9. Jury selection will convene Nov. 5.
The incident took place at 810 Billiards & Bowling Houston at approximately 2:40 a.m., Nov. 1. Takeoff was there with his Migos bandmate, Quavo, as they were in Houston celebrating the birthday of Jas Prince, son of legendary Rap-A-Lot Records owner, J. Prince.
A video allegedly captures Clark pointing and then firing a gun at several people. Takeoff and two other people were hit by bullets, although the video does not show the actual shooting. Investigators disclosed that they found Clark’s fingerprints on a wine bottle that was left at the scene. Takeoff died at the scene, while the other two people who were shot were taken to the hospital in private vehicles. Both survived the shooting.
Joshua “Wash” Washington, Quavo’s assistant, and a 24-year-old woman were identified as the people shot.
Clark, a local Houston DJ known as DJ Pat, was arrested on Dec. 1, 2022, and charged with the crime. Prosecutors revealed during a hearing, according to ABC13 News, that he had applied for an emergency passport before the arrest. Authorities also stated that Clark had a large amount of cash when he was apprehended. Papers he filed for an expedited passport were also on his person, and the DJ had a flight booked to Mexico. 
At the time of his arrest, his attorney provided a statement to the media outlet, asserting that Clark is innocent of the charges.
“There is a lot of investigation that needs to be done,” Quinones-Hollins said. “So, we just ask that everyone keep an open mind and let the system do its part and let the Constitution do its part, and that is, right now he’s innocent until he’s proven guilty.”
RELATED CONTENT: ‘Minding Our Own Business—’ A Spotlight On Diaspora Enterprise and Culture: Lu Smith

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Jeremy Carl, author of “The Unprotected Class: How Anti-White Racism Is Tearing America Apart,” described holidays like Juneteenth as “racial hustle” and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as an “anti-white weapon.”
Civil rights groups and Black leaders are speaking out against President Donald Trump‘s nominee for a top post at the U.S. Department of State, urging the U.S. Senate to reject his nomination.
At issue with the nomination of Jeremy Carl to be the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations is his past writings and statements about so-called anti-white discrimination and racist views, including the embracing of the white nationalist “Great Replacement” theory.
Carl, the author of “The Unprotected Class: How Anti-White Racism Is Tearing America Apart,” has an extensive record of statements that include suggesting pro-Trump Jan. 6 rioters were treated worse than Black people during the Jim Crow segregated South and arguing that the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited racial discrimination in public spaces, was used as an “anti-white weapon.”
During a speech at Hillsdale College last year, Carl delivered a presentation that argued that minorities have been portrayed more “positively” than whites in Hollywood since the 1960s and said films and musicals like “The Black Panther” and “Hamilton” had a “racial agenda that needs to be called out.”
“We can’t become numb to the fact that this administration is putting forward avowed white supremacists to positions of power. We should not normalize this. We should not ignore it. We should not accept it,” Desirée Cormier Smith, a senior diplomat and former State Department official, told theGrio.
The former Special Representative for Racial Equity and Justice under the Biden administration explained the role of Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations is a critical one.
“That is the senior most diplomat that manages how the United States engages with and represents itself to the United Nations and all of the United Nations agencies,” said Cormier Smith, who is co-president of The Alliance for Diplomacy and Justice.
Carl, who thanked Charlie Kirk in his opening remarks during Thursday’s Senate confirmation hearing, was heavily grilled by senators who challenged him on his views and past remarks. The Trump nominee failed to answer what he considered to be white culture, despite previously stating that it was being erased as a result of mass immigration. He also struggled to walk back remarks he made fixated on the percentage of the white population.
“It’s white people against others, which sounds deeply racist to me,” said U.S. Senator Cory Booker while questioning Carl on the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. “Somehow you think our country’s greatness depends upon its ethnic diversity as long as white people have more numbers than others…It sounds like you have a racial hierarchy. There’s no way for me to read this in any other way.”
An enraged Booker laid into Carl, who struggled to answer the New Jersey senator’s questions about his views on race in the United States.
“You do not respect me. You look upon me as my color of my skin. You say holidays like Juneteenth are racial hustles. Don’t come here and hustle me!” said Booker.
Carl’s consideration for such a high-level State Department role also drew condemnation from civil rights groups and other Black members of Congress, who urged the Senate panel to reject his nomination.
“Not only due to his troubling anti-Black ideology, but also because of his disconcerting and limited record on issues related to international diplomacy,” said U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Clarke continued, “Beyond his troubling remarks on civil rights, his commitment to denigrating Black history deeply concerns our Caucus. Mr. Carl has not only been steadfast in his campaign to oppose the teaching of Black history in primary and secondary education, but his public record also reflects a penchant for conflating Black history with anti-white propaganda.”
A coalition of civil rights groups, including the NAACP, National Urban League, National Action Network, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and National Council of Negro Women, sent a letter to Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Carl’s views are “fundamentally incompatible with the responsibilities of this role and with the values the United States must uphold on the global stage.”
“Appointing someone who has publicly questioned the legitimacy of civil rights protections and international bodies would further undermine U.S. credibility and weaken our capacity to lead with moral authority on the world stage,” said the civil rights groups.
“How could someone who has made it such racist and antisemitic and homophobic comments in the past, in very public ways, realistically engage with diplomats from around the world, particularly those from Africa, from Latin America, from the Caribbean, from Asia, from Europe, who are not white?” said Cormier Smith.
She told theGrio, “I really hope that the Republicans on the committee take heed to what Mr. Carl has said and written about non white, non Christian people, about what he said about LGBTQI+ folks, and see that this is not someone who reflects the best of America.”

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“The SAVE Act is not an election security bill — it is a voter suppression bill, full stop,” said U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
The “SAVE America Act,” an election overhaul bill that establishes stricter voter registration laws, was passed on Wednesday in the United States House of Representatives, heading to the U.S. Senate and, potentially, to President Donald Trump‘s desk.
The legislation, which would require ID and proof of citizenship to register to vote, has been backed by the White House and described as necessary by President Trump to prevent Democrats from cheating in elections.
“We don’t have voter ID and the Democrats don’t want it. And the reason they don’t want it is because they want to cheat,” Trump said in the Oval Office last week.
But while Republicans say the SAVE Act would restore election integrity–despite there being no evidence of mass voter fraud in any U.S. election–critics of the bill say it will suppress Black and Brown voters and create more barriers to their access to the ballot.
“The Republicans’ amended version of the SAVE Act that passed in the House is nothing more than an effort to undermine the right to vote ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The SAVE Act is not an election security bill — it is a voter suppression bill, full stop,” said U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. “Republicans have failed our communities with their billionaire-first agenda and policies that have caused the cost of living to skyrocket. They know their only pathway to keeping the majority in Congress is to steal the election by suppressing the vote under the guise of preventing non-existent, widespread voter fraud committed by noncitizens.
Clarke, a Democrat from New York, said the SAVE Act would “undermine” the U.S. election system and make it “harder to vote for millions of eligible U.S. citizens — disproportionately Black and minority voters and women.”
According to the Democracy Project, 21% of Black Americans and 23% of Hispanic Americans do not have access to a driver’s license, compared to only 8% of white Americans.
“Consequences of this are numerous, but one striking example is that 13.8% of Black households lack a checking or savings account compared to just 2.5% of white households. IDs are required to open these accounts,” the outlet reports. The Democracy Project notes that restrictive ID practices date back decades to the Jim Crow era, when Black Americans were denied access to hospitals and never given birth certificates.
NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said the SAVE Act is “nothing more than voter suppression disguised as voter protection,” adding, “it’s part of a larger effort to dismantle our right to vote.” The civil rights leader urged the U.S. Senate to block the “dangerous” bill.
Johnson pointed to Trump’s previous declaration that elections should be “nationalized,” which he said is a “direct violation” of the Constitution.
“His ally [Steve Bannon] is urging him to deploy ICE to terrorize voters at the polls. And now Trump wants Congress to pass a law that would suppress tens of millions of citizens from voting. Why? Because he’s a failed and deeply unpopular president, entangled in Epstein’s sex trafficking crisis and a sinking economy, who knows he’s bound to lose control of Congress,” said the NAACP head.
He added, “We, the People, are still in charge of our democracy, and our vote still determines who represents us. Regardless of how much this senile old man tries to intimidate you, vote in November.”
The SAVE Act is unlikely to pass in the Senate, where Republicans have a 53-47 majority–short of the 60 votes needed to advance legislation. President Trump urged Republicans to change the filibuster in order to pass the SAVE Act.
“Changing the Senate filibuster to force through this voter suppression bill is a red line for the Congressional Black Caucus,” said Rep. Clarke. “The CBC will not sit back while extremists continue to strip away access to the ballot box for our communities, and we are calling on every Senator to reject this assault on our democracy and stand up for the integrity of our elections.”
The push to pass the SAVE Act comes several months before the November midterm elections. Trump, who also pushed for Republicans in several states to redraw congressional maps more favorable to them in this year’s elections, has said that if Republicans lose their control of Congress, he will be impeached.

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Copyright © 2026 Interactive One, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
NEW YORK, NY — February 9th, 2026) — In a historic musical collaboration bridging two of America’s most profound genres, the “Maestro” Ron Carter and the “Choirmaster” Ricky Dillard announce the formal release of their groundbreaking joint album, Sweet, Sweet Spirit. The album, a first-of-its-kind fusion of Gospel’s sacred power and Jazz’s masterful improvisation, is now available on all streaming platforms. The album’s new and invigorating single “Farther Along” releases today with a supporting video, directed by Paul C. Rivera and produced by Justin Green – released via Blue Note Records x Motown Gospel. 

A deeply personal project for Ron Carter, Sweet, Sweet Spirit honors the memory of his late mother, Mrs. Willie O. Carter, whose favorite hymns shaped the musical foundation of the Carter household and the Detroit church community where they worshipped. The album revives those cherished hymns, originally sung a cappella by parishioners as the only instruments in the room; now reimagined through Carter’s legendary bass lines and the rich, soaring vocal instrumentation of Ricky Dillard’s choir.
 
The origins of Sweet, Sweet Spirit trace back nearly thirty years. When Mrs. Carter transitioned to a live-in care facility, her daughters requested that Ron arrange and record ten of her most beloved hymns. Carter composed and captured his bass interpretations so she could listen to them during her final weeks; a private gift of music, memory, and devotion.
  To bring this vision to life, there was only one choice: Dr. Ricky Dillard, the reigning force and master of contemporary Gospel choir music. Together, Carter and Dillard crafted a sonic landscape where choir becomes instrument, bass becomes narrator, and both genres coexist with reverence and innovation. The project marks a monumental moment for both genres; a merging of two Black American art forms, each with deep spiritual and cultural roots, into something wholly new. 

Gospel Icon Ricky Dillard and Jazz Legend Ron Carter Unite was originally published on praiserichmond.com

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